Man Dies by Suicide in Thane Following Alleged Sextortion Threats

A 45-year-old man, Hemant Dayashankar Pandey, died by suicide on January 7 in Kalyan East, Thane district, Maharashtra, after allegedly being blackmailed by cybercriminals over morphed obscene images. The victim reportedly transferred large sums of money between April 2025 and January 2026 under extortion threats demanding up to Rs 2 lakh. A case has been registered against unidentified persons under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act, with investigations ongoing.